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Russia Reports Cyber Attacks on Electoral System During Election

Globalbankingandfinance • September 19, 2026

MOSCOW, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Russian authorities reported attacks on voting systems and communication lines across the country on Saturday, the second day of a September 18-20 parliamentary election that Moscow is treating as a test of public support for the war in Ukraine.

Election Overview and Political Landscape

The State Duma election, the first since Russia launched its full-scale war in February 2022, is widely expected to see the ruling pro-Putin United Russia party retain its dominance in Russia's tightly controlled political system.

Exclusion of Anti-War Candidates

Most anti-war candidates were excluded from the ballot before voting across Russia's 11 time zones got under way, after the Supreme Court ruled last month that the liberal Yabloko party — which wants a ceasefire in Ukraine — had breached electoral rules, something it denied.

Some Yabloko candidates, however, are still contesting single-member constituencies, which account for half of the 450 seats in the lower house of parliament. The party has traditionally polled in the single digits.

Details of the Cyber Attacks

On Saturday authorities said the online voting system in Moscow had been subjected to a strong attack overnight, but said the situation was under control.

The attacks were continuing, Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova was cited as saying by state media, but all were being successfully repelled.

Russia's digital ministry said it had registered a sabotage attempt on communication lines in the country's Far East, but that the attack had been thwarted and all communication had been restored, state media reported.

Accusations and Turnout

President Vladimir Putin earlier accused Ukraine of trying to interfere with the vote, without providing evidence.

Nationwide turnout as of 1400 local time on Saturday (1100 GMT) stood at 32.58%, according to CEC data cited by state media.

International Reactions and Regional Issues

In Moldova's separatist pro-Russian Transdniestria region, the election triggered a diplomatic dispute with Chisinau over its objections to the Kremlin's plan to open 15 polling stations for Russian nationals there.

Transdniestria's Russian Voters

Moscow says the 220,000 residents of Transdniestria, a sliver of land which broke away from Moldova in 1990 at the end of Soviet rule, hold Russian passports and are entitled to vote.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Jan Harvey and Ros Russell)

Cyber‑security threats: Moscow’s online voting network faced a ‘strong’ overnight attack, while a sabotage attempt on communication infrastructure in Russia’s Far East was thwarted; all systems restored, per CEC chair Ella Pamfilova. ( currently.att.yahoo.com )

Authoritarian election context: The only anti‑war party, Yabloko, had its federal candidate list barred by the Supreme Court; only a few candidates still run in single‑member constituencies. ( eng.yabloko.ru )

Transdniestria polling dispute: Russia’s plan to open multiple polling stations in Moldova’s breakaway Transdniestria sparked diplomatic pushback from Chisinau, which only authorized one at its embassy; Moscow pressed ahead unilaterally. ( cpd.gov.ua )

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This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Russia Reports Cyber Attacks on Voting Systems During Parliamentary Elections On September 19, 2026, Russian authorities reported significant cyber attacks targeting the country's voting systems during a three-day parliamentary election. The Central Election Commission noted that Moscow's online voting system faced a powerful cyberattack overnight, which continued into the morning. Ella Pamfilova, the head of the Commission, confirmed that the situation was under control despite the ongoing attacks. The Russian digital ministry also reported attempts to sabotage communication lines, particularly in the Far East, which were successfully thwarted. President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attempting to interfere with the elections, although no evidence was provided. This election is the first since the start of Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine and is expected to reinforce the ruling United Russia party's dominance. Most anti-war candidates were barred from participating in the elections, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the voting process. The attacks are part of a broader context of escalating tensions and ongoing military conflict in the region. 22 sources 63

Russia Reports Cyber Attacks on Electoral System During Election

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